Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-10-05
Cold Water baths


Man from birth has IN antiquity to
cold wator. A baby. Il put 10 2 bath
OF cold water. or sponged ever SO
lightly with water from which the
chill has not been removed, will scream
and struggle as if its little life were
being taken. Older children have al
most to be driven to the regular con-
ventional and decency- prescribed ma
final ablutions.
The old Roman dragged his chron-
ically weary feet down to The Baths,
and stepped himself In hot water for =
half hour or SO, and, after langnidly
submitting to 3 drying, again faced
the turmoils of q dissolving empire.
The brawny German, with q One
to give the signal. two TO make ready,
and three to go!n sprang into the cold
water of the rivers Of his fatherland.
The Egyptians, SO Herodotus tells
us, were such indefatigable bathers
that the, would arise three or four
times in the night to purify their bod
les. Herodotus doesn't say, but it is
reasonably certain. that they used cold
water; for they certainly wouldn't wait
to heat water every time, nor would
they have had their tenacious hold on
life had they soaked in warm water
so often.
The Chinese, Notwithstanding their
numerous laundries, have b horror
which amounts to sort of hydropho-
bia in regard TO the use of water.
When one rejects upon the diseases
with which this nation is afflicted, no
comment upon their peculiarly is nee
essary.
10 our sincerest bolief, strengthened
and proven by actual experience, cold
water baths are OF the greatest import
ance to the health Of the nation. II,
instead of such frequent and hot baths
and lavish use Of soap with which
nurses deluge newly born baby, the
child were first cleansed with oil and
then left alone the first day, and, after,
gradually accustomed to the use of
cold water, in which little salt had
been dissolved, there would be fewer
weak and ailing babies.
In an otherwise excellent book writ
ten for women, and. in almost every
home in the land, the author recon-
mends two daily baths for infants
one of warm water in the morning,
another warmer in the evening.
Heaven alone, conscious of its soyer-
eign purposes, can save the little ones
subjected to this treatment from hav-
ing all the strength and vitality
washed out of them.
"A baby that is each morning quickly
sponged with cold salt water, and then
rubbed dry with Turkish towel, may
be exposed a dozen times and not take
cold, where child accustomed to the
usual daily warm bath, will continu-
ally suffer from an aggravating cold
IN the head, coiic, etc.
If the children have already taken
cold-and contemplating of o
tightness in the chest, try this: Into
half pint Of icy cold water, dissolve
two tablespoonful Of salt; bathcs the
chest with this, applying with cloth,
sponge or hand, completing by slap
ping vigorously and rubbing with q
rough towel. The glow that will APP
pear will not be merely external, but
will extend throughout the body, Civ
ing feeling of buoyancy and great
ease in breathing
Every mother knows how cough
remedies almost invariably upset"
the baby's stomach. Then the wise
parent will try everything else before
she uses nauscous medicines to ease
her child's cough and breathing.
In how many families there is
child more delicate than the rest--one
that does not develop as well as he
should, is nearly always sick, and is
altogether the cause Of more care and
anxiety than all the others combined!
Cold salt water baths is what the child
should have. If he can be taken to
the ocean so much the better.
A mother Of six children said to me:
II cannot imagine what makes the
children dwindle and weaken SO imme-
sdiately when / return from the ocean,.
There. at the seaside, never have
thought Of them, and they are per-
fectly well; but, as soon as return
home again, | have to send for the
doctor, and all winter it is remark
able week, indeed, when he isn't called
to see one of them. Pneumonia, bron-
chitis, Group, the snIffies everything
o, dear! do get SO worn out!"
I alphabetically asked her why she
didn't continue the ocean bath at
home. - Frances w johnson, in Good
III, ~